Soul Journey

Last week I experienced my first Soul Journey. Having no idea what to expect, I was told that I would be taking an in-depth look inside my own heart. Being able to visualize a physical journey within was necessary which left me skeptical since my visualization skills are less than ideal. With an open mind and heart, I laid down on the bed with a light covering over my eyes. A soft, steady Indian drum beat accompanied by rhythmic music quietly played in the background while my guide used her voice and the expressive sounds of singing bowls to guide me.

“Imagine a staircase going into your heart…” was how we began. At first I saw nothing. Slowly a circular staircase appeared and I cautiously took a step down. My imagination kept getting interrupted by my preconceived disparity between reality and visualization. Once I relaxed, my hand gently hovered above the rail as I descended the white, glass, smooth steps of a circular staircase. Down, down, down I went…suddenly yet gently arriving at the bottom.

At first, I am surrounded by darkness. As my guide’s voice instructs, I continue to try to see around me. Light enters and a garden reveals itself. I can feel the warmth of the sunlight on my face and feel aglow with its energy. As I begin to take a few steps deeper into the garden, a quasi-real/cartoonish rabbit appears. It keeps trying to take my hand as if to say, “Come with me” yet as hard as I try to reach out, my hand slips away. Out of the corner of my eye I see a shadow figure that’s masculine and it distracts me from the rabbit. It sits very still and erect on a bench with his arms stretched wide resting on the seatback. All it does is observe.

My guide instructs me to walk around and as I do I come upon a body of water. It glistens in the sunlight and brings me energy and comfort simultaneously. As I kneel down to study my reflection in the water, all I see is sparkling light. When I look a bit upward toward the horizon, I see a male rising from that shimmering light – my guide thinks this might be my future husband. Continuing to examine the light, I recognize that I am the sparkling light, and as I come to this realization the shadow figure shifts on the bench to one side as if to relax and say, “This is good.” Perhaps it is pleased that I finally see my true self: light reflecting in the water.

The cartoonish rabbit remains by my side and keeps gesturing his paw over his face as if he’s being bashful or coy. He also keeps trying to reach out to take my hand; urging me to come with him. I begin to sob because I’m suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of “it’s all going to be okay.” I don’t understand yet know that’s the message he’s trying to convey. My relief is so profound it is actually physical, not simply emotional.

My guide instructs me to leave the body of water and go see if any physical messages present themselves. Oddly enough as I rise and turn around I see the old climbing tree from the corner near our house when I was growing up. Instead of leaves, it is sprouting with slips of paper. As I reach out and pick one of these slips of paper I see that it is blank – they are all blank. Again I am apparently not ready to learn of the message meant for me. Patiently to my side is the rabbit who seems quite pleased I have discovered this tree even though no messages appear.

It is time to leave my inner heart and ascend the staircase back to reality. I leave with a new sense of comfort knowing that whatever is next in my life journey, all will be okay and I can stop worrying. As I flutter my eyes open, I am in awe of what I just experienced. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to have such a vivid journey.

In our discussion following; my guide and I toyed with the idea that I was the shadow observing myself as I explored what is next in my life. The blank slips of paper represented my lack of clarity of my future yet the rabbit – my apparent Spirit Guide – wants me to come with him so he can reveal my next chapter. And although I feel safe, I am not quite ready to follow. My homework is to write the rabbit letters asking what he wants of me while waiting to see if he answers.

The other day when meeting with my Rabbi for healing prayer, I mentioned this Soul Journey and together we came up with a bit of a different hypothesis. The shadow on the bench was HaShem (male divine presence of God) and my sparkling reflection in the water; the Shechinah (female divine presence of God). And my Spirit Guide was there to help me bring HaShem and Shechinah together inside me/as me for complete healing of my body and soul.

Whatever the message, I will continue to listen with an open heart and mind. I believe in myself and the spirits that surround me and know that my purpose is far greater than I can currently comprehend. Soon all will be revealed…I just have to relax, feel safe, and allow it to unfold.

Have you ever experienced a Soul Journey? If so, please share in the comments below.